Aug
24

Mariners complete sweep of Red Sox

KDWN

BOSTON (AP) — Dustin Ackley had three hits and scored three runs, Seattle’s bullpen was sharp for the second straight day and the Mariners beat Boston 8-6 on Sunday for the Red Sox’s eighth straight loss.

Ackley had a triple, double and single, finishing 13 for 25 in six games against Boston this season. The Mariners completed their first-ever sweep in a series of three or more games in Fenway Park.

Kyle Seager drove in two runs for Seattle.

Dominic Leone (7-2) worked 2 2-3 innings of hitless relief for the win. Fernando Rodney escaped a bases-loaded jam in the ninth for his 38th save and the Mariners’ pen held Boston to one run over 6 2-3.

In Saturday’s victory, Seattle’s relievers gave up just two hits in 5 1-3 innings of scoreless work.

Will Middebrooks had a two-run double and drove in three runs for Boston, which is on its worst stretch since losing 10 straight in May.

Trailing 5-3, Seattle scored a run in the fourth and took the lead with two in the fifth against Allen Webster (3-2). Ackley tied it with his triple. He scored the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly.

Middlebrooks’ two-run double had given Boston a 5-3 lead in the third and chased starter Hisashi Iwakuma, who gave up five runs on six hits over 2 1-3 innings, his shortest start of the season. He also hit consecutive batters in the first.

Iwakuma entered with a 17 2-3 innings scoreless streak, but that ended four batters into the first.

Webster was tagged for six runs on eight hits in 4 1-3 innings.

Both teams scored three runs in a first inning that lasted 42 minutes. Kendrys Morales, Seager and Logan Morrison each had RBI singles for the Mariners. Middlebrooks had a two-run double and Yoenis Cespedes an RBI single.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mariners: 2B Robinson Cano left the game in the bottom of the third with what team called “dizziness,” and he was to be evaluated by a doctor. He walked off the field slowly with manager Lloyd McClendon.

Red Sox: It was a tough two days for Boston DH David Ortiz. He was back in the lineup after leaving Saturday’s game early after getting hit by a pitch on the left elbow. “I feel fine,” he said when he came into the clubhouse Sunday morning. “A little sore, but I’ll be in there.” He then fouled a ball off his right foot Sunday in his third plate appearance, was down for a bit before striking out swinging. He walked back to the dugout slowly, limping, and had to leave after his single off the base of the right-field wall in the sixth. The club said he had a bruised foot.

UP NEXT

Mariners: LHP Roenis Elias (9-10, 4.09 ERA) faces RHP Miles Mikolas (1-5, 7.48) of Texas as the Mariners open a six-game homestand on Monday night. After three games against the Rangers, Seattle faces Washington for three.

Red Sox: RHP Clay Buchholz (5-8, 5.94) is slated to go for Boston when it faces Toronto LHP J.A. Happ (8-8, 4.39). The Red Sox begin a 10-game road trip Monday against the Blue Jays before heading to face Tampa Bay for four and the Yankees for three.